Stackable sealable food container

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for retaining food or liquid comprising a bowl and a cover is provided. The cover has a first portion, which has a plurality of holes. A means for attaching the cover to the bowl is provided so that the cover remains attached to the bowl whether the apparatus is right side up or upside down. The cover may include a rim. The means for attaching the cover to the bowl may include a plurality of protrusions attached to the rim. The cover may include an inner wall and an outer wall attached to the rim, wherein the inner wall and the outer wall are each approximately perpendicular to the rim. The plurality of protrusions may be fixed to the outer wall and may protrude inwards substantially perpendicularly from the wall.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to improved methods and apparatus concerning food containers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various food containers are known in the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention in one or more embodiments provides an apparatus for retaining food or liquid comprising a bowl and a cover. The cover may be comprised of a first portion, which has a plurality of holes. A means for attaching the cover to the bowl is provided so that the cover remains attached to the bowl whether the apparatus is right side up or upside down. The cover may include a rim. The cover may include an outer wall attached to the rim and an inner wall attached to the rim, wherein the inner and outer walls are approximately perpendicular to the rim. The plurality of protrusions may be fixed to the outer wall and may protrude inwards substantially perpendicularly from the outer wall. The rim of the bowl may be wedged between the inner and outer walls. The inner wall may fit tightly against an inner surface of the bowl, like a cork plugged into a bottle. This double-wall (i.e. the outer and inner wall prevents leakage. Prior art food containers, only have a single wall hugging the rim of the bowl from outside.

The bowl may include a flange, which can be overlapped by the plurality of protrusions to attach the cover to the bowl. The protrusions on the outer wall secure the cover onto the bowl by going under the flange of the bowl. The cover may be transparent so that food or liquid within the the apparatus can be seen.

The bowl may have a bottom portion. The cover may have a top channel. The bottom portion of the bowl may be sized to snugly fit into the top channel of the cover, so that an apparatus comprised of the cover attached to the bowl can be stacked on top of an identical apparatus. The cover may include a rim. The rim of the cover may be substantially parallel to the top portion of the cover. The top portion of the cover may be elevated with to the rim of the cover.

The present invention, in one or more embodiments also includes a method comprising the steps of forming a bowl and a cover as previously described. The plurality of holes is then formed in the first portion of the cover.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a bowl for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a cover for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the bowl of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows a bottom perspective view of the cover of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 shows a top perspective view of the cover of FIG. 2 placed on top and attached to the bowl of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the bowl of FIG. 1 attached to the cover of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a top perspective view of a bowl 10 for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 shows a bottom perspective view of the bowl 10. The bowl 10 includes a rim 12, a flange 14, an inner surface 16, an inner surface 18, a bottom channel 20, a central bottom surface 22, an outer surface 24, a peripheral bottom portion 26, a central bottom surface 28, and a peripheral ridge 30. The bowl 10 has an opening 10 a leading to a cavity 10 b, in which food or liquid can be placed. After the food or liquid is placed in the cavity 10 b it is retained in the bowl 10. The rim 12 includes a top surface 12 a, shown in FIG. 1, which is slightly curved, and a bottom surface or channel 12 b shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 2 shows a top perspective view of a cover 100 for use in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a bottom perspective view of the cover 100. The cover 100 includes a central indented portion 102, a portion 104, a channel 106, a portion 108, a channel 110, a plurality of horizontal ridges 111, a plurality of vertical ridges 112, a channel 114, a rim 116, an outer wall 118, a flange 120, and a inner wall 121.

The indented portion 102 has a top surface 102 a shown in FIG. 2 and a bottom surface 102 b shown in FIG. 4. The portion 104 has a top surface 104 a shown in FIG. 2 and a bottom surface 104 b shown in FIG. 4. The channel 106 shown in FIG. 2 forms a ridge 107 in FIG. 4. The channel 106 or ridge 107 has a plurality of openings, such as opening 106 a and 106 b shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Water cannot escape from the holes 106 a and 106 b. Only vapor is allowed to escape from the holes. When hot food items are placed in the bowl 10 and sealed with the cover 100, pressure builds up. The holes, such as holes 106 a and 106 b are used to relieve that pressure preventing cover 100 deformation.

The portion 108 has a top surface 108 a shown in FIG. 2 and a bottom surface 108 b shown in FIG. 4. The channel 110 has a top surface 110 a shown in FIG. 2 and a bottom surface 110 b shown in FIG. 4. Each of the plurality of horizontal ridges 111 may be at an angle of a little greater than ninety degrees with respect to one of the plurality of vertical ridges 112. The plurality of vertical ridges 112 may be at an angle of a little greater than ninety degrees with respect to portions 102, 104, and 108, and channels 106 and 110.

The channel 114 has a top surface 114 a and a bottom surface 114 b. The rim 116 has a top surface 116 a and a bottom surface 116 b. The wall 118 has an outer surface 118 a shown in FIG. 2 and an inner surface 118 b shown in FIG. 4. The wall 118 is substantially perpendicular to the rim 116. The outer surface 118 a of the wall 118 includes a plurality of indentations 117 such as indentations 117 a and 117 b. The indentations 117 correspond to protrusions 119 on the inner surface 118 b of the wall 118 shown in FIG. 4. The indentations 117 a and 117 b correspond to protrusions 119 a and 119 b. The flange 120 is substantially perpendicular to the wall 118.

FIG. 5 shows a top perspective right side up view of the cover 100 of FIG. 2 placed on top and attached to the bowl 10 of FIG. 1 to form an apparatus 1. In FIG. 5, the bottom surface 116 b (shown in FIG. 4) of the rim 116 of the cover 100 is on top and is typically in contact with the top surface 12 a (shown in FIG. 1) of the rim 12 of the bowl 10. The cover 100 cover the opening 10 a of the bowl 10, so that a sealed chamber or cavity is formed inside of the combination of the bowl 10 and the cover 100, except for the plurality of holes such as holes 106 a and 106 b. Water typically can not escape through the holes, such as holes 106 a and 106 b, rather only vapor. The cover 100 is attached to the bowl 10 so that when the apparatus is placed upside down, the cover 100 remains attached to the bowl 10.

FIG. 6 shows a bottom view of the bowl 10 of FIG. 1 attached to the cover 100 of FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 6, the protrusions 119, such as protrusions 119 a and 119 b, overlap and contact the bottom surface 32 of the bowl 10. The bottom surface 32 may be a bottom surface of both the flange 14 and part of the rim 12 (shown in FIG. 1). The protrusions 119, thus hold the cover 100 onto the bowl 10. The cover 100 is typically made of a transparent rigid plastic, while the bowl 10 is typically made of a flexible material such as Styrofoam. The transparent cover 100 allows food to be viewed. The cover 100 can be detached from the bowl 10 by pushing the rim 12 and the flange 14 towards the central portion 28 so that the bottom portion 32 is no longer overlapped by the protrusions 119 shown in FIG. 6.

An apparatus 1, such as in FIG. 5 can be stacked on top of an identical apparatus. The bottom portion 26, shown in FIG. 6 of apparatus 1 is designed to snugly fit on top of a surface similar to surface 110 a, within a channel similar to channel 110 on an identical apparatus. The bottom portion 26 is designed to be in contact with the surface similar to surface 110 a. A distance D1, shown in FIG. 6, from the inner diameter of the bottom portion 26 to the outer diameter of the bottom portion 26 is about equal to a distance D2, shown in FIG. 2, from the inner diameter of the channel 110 to the outer diameter of the channel 110. This allows for the snug fit between apparatus 1 and an identical apparatus.

Although the invention has been described by reference to particular illustrative embodiments thereof, many changes and modifications of the invention may become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to include within this patent all such changes and modifications as may reasonably and properly be included within the scope of the present invention's contribution to the art. 

1. An apparatus for retaining food or liquid comprising: a bowl; and a cover comprised of a first portion which has a plurality of holes; and means for attaching the cover to the bowl so that the cover remains attached to the bowl whether the apparatus is right side up or upside down.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cover includes a rim; and wherein the means for attaching the cover to the bowl includes a plurality of protrusions attached to the rim.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cover includes an outer wall attached to the rim, wherein the outer wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim; and wherein the plurality of protrusions is fixed to the outer wall and protrudes inwards substantially perpendicularly from the outer wall.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the bowl includes a flange, which can be overlapped by the plurality of protrusions to attach the cover to the bowl.
 5. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the cover includes an inner wall attached to the rim, wherein the inner wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cover is transparent.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bowl has a bottom portion; the cover has a top channel; and and wherein the bottom portion can be snugly fit into the top channel of the cover.
 8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the cover includes a rim; and wherein the rim of the cover is substantially parallel to the top portion.
 9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein The top portion of the cover is elevated with respect to the rim of the cover.
 10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the cover includes an outer wall attached to the rim, wherein the outer wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim; and wherein the plurality of protrusions is fixed to the outer wall and protrudes inwards substantially perpendicularly from the outer wall.
 11. A method of forming a food or liquid container comprising the steps of forming a bowl; forming a cover forming a first portion which has a plurality of holes; and forming a means for attaching the cover to the bowl so that the cover remains attached to the bowl whether the apparatus is right side up or upside down.
 12. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming a rim for the cover; and forming a plurality of protrusions attached to the rim; wherein the means for attaching the cover to the bowl includes the plurality of protrusions attached to the rim.
 13. The method of claim 12 further comprising forming an outer wall attached to the rim, wherein the outer wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim; and wherein the plurality of protrusions is formed fixed to the outer wall and protrudes inwards substantially perpendicularly from the outer wall.
 14. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming a flange for the bowl wherein the flange can be overlapped protrusions contact the bottom surface of the flange, maybe not overlap by the plurality of protrusions to attach the cover to the bowl.
 15. The method of claim 13 the cover includes an inner wall attached to the rim, wherein the inner wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim.
 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the cover is transparent.
 17. The method of claim 11 further comprising forming a bottom portion for the bowl; forming a top channel for the cover; and wherein the bottom portion can be snugly fit into the top channel of the cover.
 18. The method of claim 12 wherein the cover includes a rim; and wherein the rim of the cover is substantially parallel to the top portion.
 19. The method of claim 18 wherein the top portion of the cover is elevated with respect to the rim of the cover.
 20. The method of claim 18 wherein the cover includes an outer wall attached to the rim, wherein the outer wall is approximately perpendicular to the rim; and wherein the plurality of protrusions is formed fixed to the outer wall and protruding inwards substantially perpendicularly from the outer wall. 